MILAN // The Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho may be known for having an inflated ego but he is not getting ahead of himself in Italy. The Portuguese claimed he was "special" when he arrived as the Chelsea coach in 2004 on the back of Champions League glory with Porto, but with a month to go before his Serie A coaching debut, he admits he still has much to learn.
"Fabio Capello has stated that my arrival as a coach in Italy could bring just one per cent more to Inter? I agree," Mourinho told Inter's television station. "It's true that in Italy there are many good coaches. Not only now, but in the past there have been generations of great coaches. "I am here to learn and not to act as a professor. "Those who think they know everything are ignorant, I am not.
"I want to learn something each day. "For me it's a privilege to work in Italy and to be able to train in such a competition as Serie A, facing teams that have great coaches. "The day I think I know everything and that I have nothing to learn, that will be the day that I will stop coaching." Meanwhile, Roma have reiterated that the midfielder Alberto Aquilani is not for sale. Aquilani has been linked with a move away from the Stadio Olimpico this summer with clubs in Italy, England and Spain, all rumoured to be interested.
The Roma sporting director Daniele Prade confirmed they recently turned down an offer from Juventus for the Italian, who has failed to reach an agreement over a contract extension with the Giallorossi. "Aquilani is not for sale," said Prade. "Juventus tried in a correct manner to sign him but the player will remain with the Giallorossi, respecting the wishes of the Sensi family (the club's owners)."
Prade also revealed that Roma came close to signing the Romania forward Adrian Mutu from Fiorentina last week. Mutu, who is under contract with the Viola for another four years, was one of Roma's top targets following the departure of Mancini to Internazionale earlier this summer. "We had reached a financial agreement with the player and it was all confirmed, but then it fell apart," Prade said. The Lazio striker Goran Pandev has agreed a contract extension which will keep him at the club for "a long time", according to the club president Claudio Lolito.
The FYR Macedonia international has been a target for several European clubs this summer, but has seemingly pledged his future to the Rome outfit. "We have reached an agreement with Goran for the contract extension," said Lotito. "He will remain at the club for a long time. "He knows he has the affection and support of this club." Pandev moved to Lazio from Ancona in 2004 and his current contract is set to expire in June 2010.
The forward is expected to put pen to paper on the extension in the next few days. * PA Sport
